Once Upon A Golden Afternoon
by High Queen of Dreams
Summary: -CHAPTER THREE UP- Jane Blackwood, a bratty and childish fifteen year old, stumbles onto an enchanted world on her 15th birthday. There, she embarks on a journey to save this strange new world and learn the values of family and friends.
1. Once Upon A Golden Afternoon

**Author's Disclaimer: I do not own Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" or "Through The Looking Glass." All I own is Jane Blackwood, her parents, and Miss Crawford. Enjoy. :)**

**Author's Quick Note: This is no longer one-shot. I wanna continue Jane's adventures! What? She's funny.**

* * *

Jane Blackwood glared at her governess. "I want it now!" She stomped her foot.

Miss Crawford narrowed her eyes. "Jane, I will not tolerate -"

"Miss Jane!" The young person corrected. She hated when people called her on a first name, save for her father. Miss Crawford was another exception but at the moment, Jane demanded respect.

"I will not tolerate this childish behavior of yours!" Miss Crawford raised her voice. "Today is your fifteenth birthday, you are to grow up and act in a rational manner. Not as the spoiled child you are now."

"I am grown up!" Jane insisted.

The governess shook her head. "At age fifteen, a young lady does not scream or throw tantrums when things do not go her way. She is to accept what comes and act as a true lady."

Jane turned away, tears threatening her eyes. Why couldn't she have her way? She stormed up to her room and slammed the door.

Miss Crawford sighed. She raised the child for nearly eleven years. Mr. and Mrs. Blackwood were loving and adoring parents, and they were loved by the servants of the manor for their kindness. However, Jane did not inherit that. Because Mr. and Mrs. Blackwood were born and grew up with nothing until Mr. Blackwood small business expanded, they decided to give their child all they did not have and more. Jane took advantage of it, she believed the more value and numbers of items she was given, the more it meant they loved her. Miss Crawford sunk in a chair. Poor Mr. and Mrs. Blackwood. She glanced up at a portrait of the late Mrs. Blackwood. "Suppose we took your passing as an excuse of her behavior for far too long."

.:::.

Jane glared at the party from her bedroom on the third floor. Today, she was fifteen years old. Today was suppose to be her day. But no one seemed to oblige her. In fact, everyone was avoiding her. The young girl sighed and scanned the party guests.

She found her father talking among the guests, obviously joyful. _Why should he be?_ Jane thought. _I am up here, crying, and he is downstairs having the time of his life!_ Scoffing, the young person turned away and fell on her bed. After a while, she lifted her head and saw herself in the mirror.

Miss Jane Blackwood was no beauty. In fact, she did not look like a lady of fifteen. She looked like a child of twelve, perhaps thirteen. Her childish and bratty behavior made her into an unattractive person with a child's face. Clearly, the young Miss Blackwood did not inherit her mother's good looks; her mother was a local beauty. And Jane did not wear the appropriate fashion for a girl her age, which included a corset, a longer skirt, and heels. She kept to her white stockings, black flats, and knee length skirt - such as today. She wore her usual white stockings and black flats with a pink skirt that flared around her knees. The bodice was not tight and there was no corset, the sleeves were short and puffy.

Yes, indeed, Jane had not inherited anything from her parents - neither their good looks or their kind nature.

She threw one of her pillows across the room and buried her head in her pillow as she sobbed. Why couldn't things be her way?

.:::.

Mr. Blackwood saw his daughter standing at her bedroom window, looking very unpleased. He suppressed a sigh. He was not blind to Jane's childish behavior. He, like Miss Crawford, did not know what to do. Suppose it was an effect from her mother's death. He tried to talk to his daughter but because she was so young, she didn't understand. And when she cried, the only person who could calm her was her mother. Mr. Blackwood did not possess the sill to calm his crying baby, so he bought a few toys. But then the toys became Jane's object of desire.

"Mr. Blackwood ?"

The gentleman turned his attention to Mr. Rambolt, the mayor.

"I am sorry, Mr. Rambolt." Mr. Blackwood said at once, "I apologize but I did not hear you."

"Oh, well!" The mayor said. "Well, uh," He seemed uncomfortable. "It's about Little Miss Jane."

Mr. Blackwood held back another sigh.

"You see, when she visited Miss Cook the other day with Miss Crawford, Miss Jane said something very... very unkind. Miss Cook was, as you know it is her pleasure, chatting with the two ladies. Miss Jane interrupted and made a remark about her chatter and how it was, well, boring."

Mr. Blackwood, like any other person who knew Miss Cook, did agree that Miss Cook's talks were boring. But she was a spinster of thirty-six and was very kind. He let out a soft sigh. _Why, Jane, why?_

"And well, the townspeople have been making their remarks about Miss Jane known -"

"Mr. Rambolt, I am so sorry for Jane's behavior towards Miss Cook. I will have her - " He stopped. "_I'll_ apologize to Miss Cook as soon as she is here."

Mr. Rambolt smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Blackwood, but my wife and I were talking and we thought that perhaps if Miss Jane went to Mr. Chance's Boarding School for Girls, her behavior would be more, well, improved."

Mr. Long had been thinking of that school, but he did not like how Mr. Rambolt belittled his daughter's behavior, no matter how true it may be. "I will talk to Miss Crawford and Jane about it, sir and she might give it a chance." He tried to smile.

"Might give it a chance?" Mrs. Hart came over. "Your daughter is quite rude, Mr. Long!"

"Dear Mrs. Hart -" Mr. Rambolt said.

"No!" She nearly screamed. "I will not hold my tongue any longer. For ten or so years, I've put up with your daughter and her insolent and ignorant mind!"

Mr. Blackwood tried to speak but Mrs. Hart let all the bombs fly away. After she excused herself, Mr. Blackwood found himself so ashamed of his bad parenting on Jane and how she was being blamed.

.:::.

Jane marched downstairs after wiping her red eyes and her red cheeks faded to their original color. She did not want to go to the party, even if it was for her. She met no one on her way out of the house to her delight. Once she reached the wilderness, she broke into a run - if one could even call it a run. She slowed down after a minute and a half. She was no runner and certainly not an athlete. She leaned against the tree, evening her breathing. She felt like crying again. She looked around, trying to distract the threatening tears. But really, she did not care about the trees and how the sunlight made their leaves look red, green, and gold or how blue the sky was or even if little animals were passing by. She cared nothing for the golden afternoon.

She heard a rustling, thinking it was one of the servants; she turned around to see something moving fast and far beyond the trees. Jane slowly followed the running figure, picking her pace gradually. She ran around trees, which started to become thick and clustered. "Ooof!" She nearly tripped but still she pursued the figure that was becoming a small dot now. _If it is someone trying to skip out on my party, I will be furious!_ She finally came out of the clustered trees into a clearing. The running figure was nowhere in sight. Jane frowned and looked all around. She groaned and stomped her foot in frustration. A white small rabbit hopped towards her. "Ugh!" She stepped away. "Get away!"

The rabbit lifted his face to her. "You're not too pleasant to look at either if you don't mind my saying miss."

Jane's brown eyes widened. "You-you-you -"

"Really, never seen a rabbit in your life?" He asked.

Jane backed up against a tree, gripping the bark in fear. "Its witchcraft, surely, witchcraft!"

"Which croft?" The rabbit questioned.

"I have to be dreaming..." Jane sank to the ground. "I must be dreaming."

The rabbit frowned. "If you were dreaming, would this hurt?" He hoped over and bit her hand.

Jane screamed. "Get away!" She crawled away.

The rabbit rolled his big brown eyes. "Come now, missus, may I ask what brings you to this part of the world?"

"I was following a man - at least, I do believe it was a man - over here and..." Jane stopped. "Why am I talking to an animal?"

"A man?" The rabbit's voice altered with alarm. "Running in this direction?"

"Yes, but you shouldn't be able to -"

"Come, miss! Come!" The rabbit hopped into the bushes. When Jane did not follow, he poked his head out. "Well, come on or we'll be late!" He paused. "Do you have the time?"

Jane sighed again in frustration. "Its almost one."

The rabbit nearly jumped in the air. "Oh my goodness! I'm late! You're late! We're late! Come, come, come!" He jumped back in the bushes, calling out to Jane. "Come, come, come!"

"Of all nonsense..." She muttered but suddenly felt so alone, and she did not want to be alone. She rushed after the rabbit. "Sir! Um, Mr. Rabbit! What are we so late for?"

"Oh, oh, oh!" The rabbit was too preoccupied with the thought of being late he didn't hear Jane.

He turned around when he reached a rabbit's hole. "Come, come, come! We are late!" He disappeared into it.

Jane knelt before the rabbit hole, raising an eyebrow. "How on earth can I fit in there?" She sat on her heels.

"Come, come!"

"Oh, drat! Just because you can fit in there that doesn't mean -"

The rabbit poked his head out of the hole and looked up at her, frowning. "Look here, miss, if you fancy being late, fine by me then. But I do not like the idea of - " He stopped mid sentence and looked just behind her.

Jane, confused, turned around to see a tall figure standing about thirty feet from them. The hat was ridiculously tall and a price tag was still in the band. The coat and the hat were a dreary dark color. The coat was buttoned up all the way and it seemed the person was concealing something, something Jane did not want to know. The man held his the tip of his hat with a black gloved hand. Slowly, he lifted his face but Jane only had time to see the bottom half of an aged face. But what scared her the most, was that he was smirking in a very devilish way.

"Come, foolish girl!" The rabbit cried out before disappearing.

Jane was too scared to think correctly. Instead of screaming like she ought to have, she dove for the rabbit hole. She must have been too heavy because the ground gave out beneath her and down a wide black hole, she fell.

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**Author's Note: This is revised a bit. I changed the last names and fixed up a few things. Hope you like.**


	2. Welcome to Wonderland

**Author's Disclaimer: I do not own Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" or "Through The Looking Glass." All I own is Jane Blackwood, her parents, and Miss Crawford. Enjoy. :)**

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Jane didn't know what was going on. She excepted to land on dirt or a group of rabbits, but she didn't. In fact, come to think of it, she was still falling. It was like she was falling down the rabbit hole for miles and miles.

_This is… odd._ She thought. "Its almost as if I might be falling through the center of the earth… but that's silly!" She dismissed the theory. "No one has ever fallen straight through the earth. Its impossible!" She tried to laugh but she couldn't. _Maybe I am being foolish. Perhaps I cried myself to sleep and this is all a dream._

She blinked when she found she was falling forward and not on her back like a few moments ago. She could see something far down below. Probably the ground. _Any second now I should awake…_ As the ground got closer, Jane's eyes widened. _Or maybe not!_ She landed hard on the ground.

Jane opened her eyes. She expected to see sunlight pour in her room and the party noise just outside her window. Instead, she found herself flying on a marble floor that resembled a checkerboard and walls painted with stripes of red, white, and black. She slowly sat up, observing her surroundings. She breathed slowly. There was no door, no window, no furniture - nothing. Just the walls, the marble floor, and the hole above Jane from which she fell.

"Where…" She looked wildly around herself, trying to find a door or window. "Where am I?"

"Miss, if you're done gawking at the room, it would be pleasant if you'll oblige by following me."

Jane spun her head around to see the white rabbit standing at the other side of the room next to a door. "Wait…" She stood up, dusting her pink skirt. "That wasn't there before… was it?"

"Its always here," The rabbit assured her.

"But I didn't see -"

"That's because you didn't want to see."

"What? I cannot understand what you're saying. I looked around for a door and found none."

"Because you didn't want a door, missus."

"Oh!" Jane stomped her foot in annoyance. "I am not crazy. And I will not have you talk to me in this rude manner."

The rabbit's ears twitched. "Rude manner? You shouldn't talking, miss. And you'll learn that quickly in Wonderland."

Jane stared at the rabbit. "Wonderland?"

"Yes, now come." He turned the doorknob of the door and pushed the door open. He hopped forward. "Come, come!"

Jane bit her lip. She walked cautiously towards the door. About three strides from the door, the top of her head hit the ceiling. "Ow!" Jane rubbed the top of her head, messing up her bun. "That's odd… the room is getting…"

"Miss, I'm on a schedule!"

She sighed and ended up crawling through the door. She got stuck about halfway through. "Mr. Rabbit!" She called out. "I'm stuck." The white rabbit hopped up to her. When he just stared at her, Jane glared at him. "Aren't you going to help me?"

The rabbit wrinkled his nose before hoping away. "You can help yourself, miss. Nothing to it."

Jane gawked at the animal. _What an infuriating animal!_ "Help me now. You're the reason why I'm stuck!"

The white rabbit stopped at the top of a hill. Jane's cries were more annoying than the clattering of flying teapots. And flying teapots were the most annoying sound. Mr. Rabbit looked over his shoulder and took some time to study the girl who struggled and yelled. She did not have a good appearance, and that might have been forgiven if her manner and personality was not obnoxious. Still…. He sighed and hopped down to the girl again. "Silence your tongue or I will leave you to the man-eating ants!"

Jane clammed up and she looked at the white rabbit with teary eyes.

"Are you crying for that?" Mr. Rabbit asked with a shocked face. "Just because you can't get out?"

"You fit right through just fine. I don't." She muttered.

Mr. Rabbit sighed. "You don't fit through because you don't want to fit through."

"I don't see how -"

"Miss!" The rabbit sighed. "Just go back a little and come back out with the thought of wanting to get out of the room."

"I still don't see how -"

"Just do it."

Jane breathed and moved back a bit. _Ok, just think about getting out._ She crawled forward but found herself still stuck. She sighed.

Mr. Rabbit shook his head. "You give up easily, miss."

"I do not!"

"Try again."

After the fourth try, Jane managed to get out. She stood up dusted herself again. The white rabbit looked up at her expectantly. She looked down at him. "What?"

He shook his head and hopped along. "A simple thank you would suffice."

Jane frowned. _Thank you? After all you've put me through?_

"Now, come along. We have a long way to go."

"Excuse me, but where are we going?" Jane had some trouble going up the hill following Mr. Rabbit.

"Finally, some manners." Mr. Rabbit muttered to himself. "To the White Palace." He told his companion.

"The White Palace?" Jane almost lost her footing. "In which country is that? Ireland, perhaps?"

The rabbit stopped, turned to her, then laughed.

"Stop laughing!" Jane placed her hands on her hips, looking quite crossed.

"I'm sorry, miss!" The rabbit doubled over in laughter. "Iron land? Honestly, you come up with the silliest things!"

"I most certainly do not! You come up with the silliest things. Like - like - like Wonderland! Who ever heard of a place?"

"We're in it, miss!"

Jane blinked. "What?"

Mr. Rabbit straightened up and hopped to the top of the hill, still laughing. "See for yourself!"

Jane followed him with no hesitation. Once atop of the hill, she gasped at the sight before her. As far as the eye could see, there was a large wilderness and far into the distance, one could hardly see mountains. There were some clearings, farms, ponds, and rivers. The young girl also noticed there was a white palace in the distance. But the white palace didn't interest Jane at the moment. What did interest her was the land itself and its beauty, and the odd feeling that overcame her - a feeling she didn't recognize.

Mr. Rabbit was amused by Jane's shock. "Welcome to Wonderland, miss."

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**Author's Note: Thus, Jane steps into Wonderland. I sorta tried to do a little Lewis Carroll's writing of Alice's thoughts going down the rabbit hole, but tried to fit it to Jane. I do hope you like my version of Mr. Rabbit. I recently started to have a soft spot for him. :)**


	3. Eat Me, Drink Me

**Author's Disclaimer: I do now own Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" or "Through The Looking Glass." All I own is Jane Blackwood, her parents and governess, and my versions of characters.**

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"Welcome to Wonderland, miss."

Wonderland. Was it real? Jane breathed, wondering if this all was a dream. It certainly looked liked nothing from her history books. In fact, it seemed that it came out of a fairy tale book. Jane looked down at the white rabbit with wide eyes.

Mr. Rabbit almost looked as if he was smiling at her. He moved along. "Come, miss, we must reach the White Palace before dark."

Jane snapped out of her daze. "Before dark?" She looked at the white palace she assumed was the White Palace Mr. Rabbit was referring to. "But its all the way over there."

"We probably be a lot closer if you hadn't taken so long to fall down the rabbit hole -"

"But -"

" - and going through the door. But I suppose we have to stop somewhere." He turned to her. "Follow me."

Jane had no choice but to follow Mr. Rabbit if she was to ever find her way home. She was a rather clumsy girl, so she tripped and lot her footing when the two entered the woods. Jane was never a curious girl. She got answers when she asked her questions (if they could even be called questions). But Wonderland awoke the curiosity in her, so she had to ask her companion:

"Mr. Rabbit, why did you have me follow you?"

Mr. Rabbit still went along his merry way and did not respond to her question.

Jane frowned. "Well then, why must we go to the White Palace? Is it safe there?"

"Yesterday it could've been, today it could be, tomorrow maybe not."

The girl's frown became deeper. "That doesn't make sense. Then the White Palace is certainly not safe."

"It is the safest yet the unsafest place."

"Unsafest isn't a word."

"It is, mind you!"

Jane sighed. Traveling deeper into the woods, the lighting started to darken and the trees clustered. The rabbit's white fur stood out, but as Jane fell behind, she lost view of his white fur. "Mr. Rabbit, Mr. Rabbit! I cannot see you - wait!" But he didn't seem to hear her. After losing sight of the white rabbit, Jane leaned against the tree panting. _Oh dear! _She felt her chest tightened and tears well up in her eyes. "I wish there was something to make me fly over these woods or make me bigger." She bit her lip as she sought to navigate herself to the White Palace. "If the White Palace is this way… I should go this way!" She smiled at the thought of possibly reaching the palace without Mr. Rabbit's help. She took a step, tripped, and fell. "Oooof!" She sat up and glanced behind to see what caused her fall. A golden box shaped as a pentagon was the cause. Jane picked up the box and opened it to find a dozen cookies in different shapes. The frosting on each one said "Eat Me." "Oh!" She smiled in delight. "Perhaps this is Wonderland."

Never one to refuse gifts or to suspect the worst, Jane picked a star shaped cookie and ate it whole. "Hmm! Chocolate chip. I wonder if any one would mind my taking the whole box. After all, I could get hungry on the waaaaaaaaaaaayyyy!"

Jane felt odd - not pain, just a funny feeling. She felt her body stretch but there was no pain. A blur of green, brown, and blue was all she could really see. When she was blinded by the bright blue sky, Jane blinked and rubbed her eyes. The funny feeling from a moment ago gone.

"Perhaps that cookie wasn't very good…" Jane muttered. Deciding to set it down, she moved to bent down and place the sweets box on the ground. But when she saw tree tops, she straighten up, confusion written on her face. "Wha?!" Her eyes scanned the scenery around her. All around her was treetops. _How did I become so tall?_ She wasn't a giant, but her shoulders were a good twelve feet above the tree tops. "Oh dear…." Jane bit her lip and looked back down at the box of cookies in her hands. _Maybe I should check next time what I eat._

.::.

Mr. Rabbit was relieved when he stepped into a familiar clearing, though the journey to the White Palace was not half over, he was able to wear his normal attire. He hopped towards a bush and pulled out his blue and white waistcoat and his golden watch. He smiled once back in his own attire, but then frowned when his eyes fell on his bare paws. "I am quite sure I brought my gloves…" He dug further into the bush. He groaned in frustration upon realization that he left his gloves at his house. "Perhaps we _could_ stop on the way…" He stopped. He turned around, "Miss, I'm surprise you've been quiet the whole time. No questions like -" He stopped when he saw no one in the clearing but him. He hopped to the edge. "Miss? Oh, miss?" He frowned. "Where do you suppose…"

"Mr. Rabbit?"

_Ah! There she is!_ "I'm over here!"

"Mr. Rabbit, where are you?"

"Over here, miss! In the clearing!"

"Mr. Rabbit?"

The white rabbit grew annoyed by the minute. "Oh!" He stomped his foot. "I had hope to never do this." He hopped along low branches to reach higher ones, keeping his eye out for the young girl. He pulled out his watch and nearly fell off the branch he stood on. "We're late! Miss, come out!" He climbed to the top of the tree. _I suppose I could narrow down where she is - Good heavens!_ He couldn't believe his eyes at the sight of the young girl more than three times her height. She looked around while calling his name. "Oh!" Mr. Rabbit hurried down to the ground and hopped at great speed towards her.

Jane was now about to cry. "Mr. Rabbit…"

"MISS!"

Jane glanced down to see a small ball of white. "Mr. Rabbit?"

"What have you gotten yourself into?!" He asked angrily.

"Well, I lost you so I tried to continue to the White Palace by myself, but I tripped on sweets and I ate one and -"

"Oh! You foolish girl!"

"I'm… Its not my fault." Tears ran down Jane's cheeks.

"I've only seen you cry twice and it is very unpleasant, let me tell you!"

"Wha… What do I do?" Jane asked, wiping her tears away.

"Well, see if you get to that clearing over there, see it?"

Jane looked around and did see one, and not too far for one her size. "Y-yes."

"Good. Now meet me there, but try not to crush any trees. There are animals that live here."

Jane did her best to oblige Mr. Rabbit, but every now and then she heard something crack. She cringed and waited for Mr. Rabbit to say something. If he didn't, then she continued with as much care as she could.

"I'll go back to my house, get my gloves and something to shrink you. Stay here, miss." Mr. Rabbit said.

"Why?"

He gave her a look that could be mistaken for a glare. "I will not be held accountable for the homes you've destroyed of all those poor creatures." He hopped off.

Jane sighed and rested on her knees. "I certainly didn't mean to."

"Of course, you didn't, miss."

Jane panicked at the unfamiliarity of the voice. She looked around for the voice.

"In front of you, miss." The voice was amused.

Jane looked in front of her and nearly screamed. Where there was no one before stood a tall man. The only thing that was familiar to Jane was the price tag in the ridiculously tall hat. She narrowed her eyes. "How dare you talk to me? You're the reason why I'm like this in the first place!"

The man took a seat on a tall rock. "Did I, miss? Did I force you to eat those sweets? Did I force you to destroy the homes of animals?"

"Well, partially. If it wasn't for you, I would not have fallen down the rabbit hole and ended up here."

"Perhaps you _wanted_ to fall down the rabbit hole." He said. He was careful to keep his face hidden.

Jane took notice of this. She frowned. "Will you not show me your face? Its quite rude."

"Your manner is quite rude. But suppose I show you my face, what would that serve?"

"My comfort."

The man laughed heartily. He stood up and offered her a bottle. "Here, missus, for you. My welcome gift to you."

Jane took it then thought about the recent event with the sweets. "What is it?"

"Should help you grow smaller. Drink carefully though! Might up end as you were or smaller."

The young girl looked at the man. "Why are you giving it to me?"

"Wouldn't want you to create a river of tears now, would I?" What infuriated Jane more than his identity was how he found amusement in _everything_. As if sensing her displeasure, he reached for the bottle, "Unless of course, you want to give it back and remain a giant."

Jane shook her head. "No!"

The man lifted his face only enough so she could see a smirk, but not the devilish one he wore when she first saw him. "Very well then, missus. I leave you to your drink and I will drink to you at my cottage." Within a blink of an eye, he was gone.

Jane held the small bottle to her eye level, never minding how the man left so quickly. "Hmm. Should I?" She almost thought of leaving it on the ground and wait until the white rabbit came. "Well, what's the harm?" She bit her lip then sighed exasperatingly. "I don't care." She unscrewed the top and drank it all, the man's warning processing not once. After two minutes of nothing, Jane sighed. "How dare he get my hopes up? Does he not see how tired I am of being so taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllll?!

Her shrinking was certainly faster than her growing. Jane felt her head spin and her body change. She closed her eyes and breathed calmly. "OK." She opened her eyes and, to her delight, she was overlooking any treetops. However, to her dismay, everything grew. "Or maybe.. I became smaller." Jane bit her lip. Mr. Rabbit would be quite displeased. She climbed up a mushroom and sat on the red and white spotted plant. She played with her hands in anticipation.

_Jane._

Jane looked up. "Hello? Mr. Rabbit?"

_Jane._

The young girl stood on the mushroom and looked around for the person calling out her name. The rabbit and the man were no where in sight. Instead of staying put as she ought to, the young girl ran out of the clearing and between the trees, following the voice.

.::.

Mr. Rabbit came back to the clearing with his white gloves and a bottle. "Now, miss, this should get you right to your size again." He froze at the empty clearing. "Miss?" He picked up something on the ground and examined the empty bottle. "Oh dear… Miss, miss! Miss, where are you?!"

He was about to jump back into the forest when a voice next to him said, "Hello, Mr. Rabbit. Running late, are we?"

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**Author's Note: I'm pretty sure you all know the mystery man is. Question is: What the HELL is he doing? :D Feedback please!**


	4. The Caterpillar

**Author's Disclaimer: I do not own Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" or "Through The Looking Glass". All I own is Jane Blackwood, her parents, Miss Crawford, and my versions of Lewis Carroll's characters.**

* * *

Jane Blackwood was growing curious and curious at who was calling her name. It wasn't Mr. Rabbit or the mysterious man. In fact, the way the voice said her name was so foreign and alien… and yet familiar. "Miss Crawford?" She called out once, wondering if she had fallen out of Wonderland and her governess was looking for her. No answer came. "Hmpf!" She pouted.

_Jane_.

The young girl immediately ran as fast as she could upon hearing her name. Her cheeks were flushed and warm now from the running. She followed the sound of the voice. She stopped when she heard nothing for a while. "Oh!" Jane stomped her foot. She climbed on a mushroom and sighed. She cupped her face. "Now what am I to do?"

"Who are you?"

Jane looked around. "Hello?"

"Who are you?"

She realized the voice was coming from above her so she looked up. She gave a short scream. There, sitting on a taller mushroom, was a caterpillar. And this caterpillar was smoking a hookah. She stared at the bug in horror.

The caterpillar took a huff from his hookah and peered down at her. "Who are you?"

"Miss Jane Blackwood." The young girl just realized that this was the first time anyone asked her her name since finding Mr. Rabbit. Not even he asked for her name.

"Who are you?" He looked down at her.

"I already told you. I am Miss Jane Blackwood."

"I asked who are you, little girl."

"I just said it, you infuriating bug!"

The caterpillar dropped to the mushroom she stood on and stood straight and was a great deal taller than her. "Keep your temper, young girl."

"Who are you to tell me what to do?" Jane placed her hands on her hips.

"Which gets back to my question, who are you?"

"Never mind that now! Did you hear someone calling out my name?"

"What is your name?" Mr. Caterpillar took another puff.

"Miss Jane Blackwood."

"Then no."

"But, I could've sworn _someone_ called out my name…" Jane bit her bottom lip.

"What your name is and who you are are two completely different things." The caterpillar said.

"What?" Jane had not paid attention.

Mr. Caterpillar looked quite a bit angry and took another huff. "You must learn to listen."

"I do listen!"

"Then why did you ask me what I said and about the voice?"

"Oh! So you heard it?"

"Heard what?"

Jane kicked the mushroom and fell on her bottom. She sighed. "Why is everything so confusing in Wonderland?"

"It is not."

"It is to me!"

Mr. Caterpillar peered over the mushroom's edge down at her. "You?"

"Yes, me! Oh, if I had not followed Mr. Rabbit and gone to my party, none of this would've happened." She crossed her arms and did her best to appear very crossed, but the tears would come any moment.

The caterpillar saw this and rolled his eyes. "Why cry?"

"I beg your pardon?" She looked up.

"Why do you cry for such nonsense? Have you been eaten?"

"Uh, no."

"Have you been hurt?"

"Not really -"

"Are you beaten?"

"Well -"

"Have you been buried in the dirt?"

"No - wait!"

"You cry for no reason."

"But, if you see it my way -"

"And your way is the only way? Why, have you considered others? Have you considered _my _way? Have you ever wondered what others must bear? Oh no, you don't, my dear." Mr. Caterpillar said.

Jane frowned. "What do you mean?" She stood up. "Wonder about others? I always do!"

"Do you now?"

"Yes, I do." Jane stuck her chin up.

"Name a time, anytime."

"Well -" Jane thought about it. She thought long and hard about it. "I have so many times, I cannot pick just one and ignore the others."

Mr. Caterpillar looked at her as if saying "Oh really?"

For some reason, Miss Cook came to Jane's mind. Oh! That annoying woman. But, it seemed that whatever Mr. Caterpillar was telling her, it was connected to Miss Cook. Jane sighed and looked up. "Do you mean Miss Cook?"

"Who?"

The girl's shoulders slumped. "Well, if Mr. Rabbit comes by, be sure to tell him I went this way… please." She added the last word with a bit hesitation, wondering if it would please the hookah smoking bug. No reply came. She set off again. _Alright, now. Where is the White Palace?_

"One side will make you grow shorter, the other taller."

"Huh?" Jane spun around to see Mr. Caterpillar looking directly at her. She walked back up to him. "One side will make me grow shorter, the other taller? What will?"

"The mushroom of course." Mr. Caterpillar leaped off of the mushroom and scurried away.

Jane cocked her head. "He's the strangest character I've ever met." She looked at the mushroom he jumped from. _What does he mean?_ She shook her head. "What nonsense! I won't eat it unless its edible!" She walked away. _I'm not eating it until its proven good to eat. That's what Father and Miss Crawford always said!_ Jane stopped. Father and Miss Crawford. She looked up to the trees. Why did that sound so odd?

_Jane._

The young girl was delighted to hear someone call out her name. "Mr. Caterpillar?" She called out. "Is that you?"

_Jane, come here._

She broke into a run and followed the sweet voice. _Perhaps it is Miss Crawford! Oh, won't she be glad to see me again!_ She could hear the voice again and it sounded closer. Just any minute now…

Jane stepped into a clearing between the tall grass. "Hello!" She became nervous when the voice didn't call her name out. She looked around, careful to observe around herself. "Who's there?" She frowned and played with her hands. "Its so strange here… AH!" She felt the ground beneath her feet lift up. She tried to keep her balance. She lost her footing and fell on her bottom. "Oh!" She looked down at the ground to find it a shade of gray. "What…?" She heard someone chuckle. Her head spun around to find a young man's face in an expression of amusement. Jane stood up but the unevenness of the "ground" caused her to fall again. The young man chuckled. That was when Jane saw she was sitting on a gloved hand, more than likely belonging to the amused gentleman. She crawled to his thumb and used it to get up and stay up. She looked at the gentleman with a frown. "Are you done with your fun?"

"Now, missus, I mean no harm to you. Come. Why don't you have a drink of tea with me?"

_Finally! A true gentleman._ "I would like that very much." Jane gripped his thumb as he began to walk. She settled for kneeling on his palm but still held onto his thumb. She sighed. _I wonder if I will ever get use to this size._

* * *

**Author's Note: Chapters for this story will be short, as you have noticed. This is to keep this story updated and so that I do not lose interest. I really don't know how to write about the Caterpillar, so I hope you find him pleasing enough. And you may not like Jane because of her brattiness and her naiveness and other stuff. But remember that her adventure in Wonderland changes who she is and that's what I aim for without making the change so fast or too obvious. But you may have noticed that her talking to Mr. Caterpillar did trigger something. Hope you all like!**


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